We departed from Kinigi Guest House at a leisurely time. The border was a mere 25km away and we were not planning on venturing too far from the border as the south western section of Uganda was a gem for tourism and scenic things to do. We crossed at the Cyniaka border where we bought our visas for $50 each and paid $20 for Mvubu. We drove through Kisoro which was the next big town after the border and decided that we should head towards Lake Bunyoni for the night. The drive was spectacular and scenic. The terraced hills were intensively cultivated again and we were afforded gorgeous views of the Virunga Volcanoes which were covered by a ring of clouds, creating an eerie environment to compliment the mystical structures. We drove trough the most magnificent pass that took us to 2500m from where we had views of the lakes in the surrounding areas. The road took a drastic turn and on our way down the pass we were treated to outstanding tarmac and a smooth drive to the intersection of Lake Bunyoni. The road to the lake was rustic and when we rounded a corner to discover a huge resort type settlement skirting the edge of the lake we were disappointed that it was very developed and did not match the rough and bumpy road that had lead us there. We stopped in at the Lake Bunyoni Overland Resort which was a large scale ‘camp’ that covered two banks of one of the coves of the lake. The 3rd side was occupied by what seemed to be a more exclusive lodge that had a jetty protruding into the icy green waters. We set up camp for the evening and resigned ourselves to the fact that East Africa was going to be more developed in areas of natural beauty as it provided much revenue brought in by tourists. With the sound of a speed boat in the distance we managed to unwind and enjoy the surroundings of the irregular shaped lake and the laughing of village children from the opposite side of the bank. The higher altitude meant that the temperature plummeted in the evening and so after our dinner of fillet steak and vegetables we made our way to the open fire pit near the resort restaurant where we warmed up before making our way to bed a few hours later.

2010-05-31 to 2010-06-01

We left Lake Bunyoni and started the arduous journey to Kampala. It was a great distance to cover in one day but we were eager to enquire about the Rwenzori Mountains and Kampala seemed to be the best place to stock up on snack foods and obtain permits for the trek. The drive took us through numerous villages as we wound through the cultivated hills and market places. We had reached an important stage in our journey once again whereby we crossed the equator for the second time. This time we came from the south and ventured once again into the northern hemisphere. Kampala, upon entry, was mayhem. The traffic was representative of any African city and our attempts to pop into Shoprite, which was slap bang in the middle of town, were foiled by a wrong turn which led us directly into the centre of the taxi rank and main market square. We had to gather all of our patients and wits and managed to weave our way through the stationary vehicles. When we were eventually making progress we were faced with another traffic jam. A container truck ahead of us was in the same predicament and tried to make progress by mounting the pavement. This turned out to be the wrong move as Kirk and I watched in horror as the entire truck toppled over onto its side. It almost happened in slow motion and only the scamper and scurry of the pedestrians in the trucks line of fire seemed to happen in real time. The container hit the road with a mammoth thud and a huge puff of dirt rose upon impact. Miraculously nobody was trapped under the mass of metal but all hell had broken lose. The people who were innocently milling around the market area started going mad, rushing to the scene and trying to get in on a piece of action. The taxis came to a standstill and again we were in a gridlock and going nowhere fast. With Kirk’s hand firmly on the hooter and his wonderful sense of humour we were soon on the move again and managed to weave our way through the taxis with only a few minor bumps and bruises on Mvubu. Shoprite was now out of the question and we were fed up of being stuck in town traffic and so decided to make our way to the Red Chilli Rest House and attempt to visit Shoprite the following day by taxi.

Whilst sitting in the communal area at the Red Chilli Kirk befriended 3 South African guys who were working on the development of 3 concession areas in Uganda. We invited them to a braai at Mvubu and enjoyed fillet steak, braai broodtjies and salad.

We had found out from our fellow South Africans that there was another Shoprite situated in a shopping mall 2km from the Red Chilli. The mall also had a Game. We were ecstatic about this news and took a drive there the following morning. We did some price checking and purchased some trekking snacks and other necessities and made our way to the UWA office where we would be able to organise our visit to the Rwenzori Mountains. To do the summit would mean that we would have to pay over $1000 per person which really was stretching the budget especially since we were climbing Kilimanjaro in a month and a half. We enquired about other options and the Central Circuit was very tempting. It was still quite costly but the experience would be worth it. We returned to the Red Chilli to deliberate our options and decided to return to the UWA the following morning to secure our permits for the Central Circuit to start on Friday.

We enjoyed a relaxed afternoon and evening at the Red Chilli where we packed the groceries into the car and enjoyed a burger for lunch/dinner. The samoosas from Shoprite had certainly filled the gap earlier.

2010-06-02 to 2010-06-03

It was a bright and early start for us. We visited the UWA office, paid for our trek and made our way towards Fort Portal and Kasese. Fort Portal is something of a sleepy town but was surrounded by the most luscious tea plantations. Kasese was just as sleepy but we were pleased to find that it had a well stocked market where we were able to buy fresh tomatoes, bananas, potatoes, onions and bread for our food to take up the mountain. Our next stop was the plastic boot salesman where Kirk and I both purchased a pair of Ugandan ‘Wellies’ for $6 each. We were all set and made the 16km drive to the base of the Rwenzori Mountains where we met with Andrew, the head of the Rwenzori Mountain Services. We confirmed our date of departure and headed 3km further up the mountain to the RMS Guest House where we were able o camp for free.

Grace, the manageress was very helpful and boiled some water for us to have a hot bucket shower that evening as it was quite chilly at the base of the mountains.

The next day was a busy one. We had decided to provide all of our own food for the trip for the reason that a cook, food and a gas canister would have cost an extra $430 for the two of us. We had 50kgs of weight to distribute between 4 porters and knew that we would be able to include food in that figure. Whilst Kirk took the trekking kit out of the roof box, I sorted through and prepared the snacks and food that would be our fuel to climb and climb and climb! By 7pm we were packed and ready to trek in the morning with enough mince, spaghetti, rice, packet pastas, dried fruit and chocolates to get us through the 6 night 7 day trek.

2010-06-04

Rwenzori Mountains Day 1

We had risen early to pack up the tent and made our way to the RMS office where we were introduced to our guide Erick. We were briefed on what to expect on each day of our mountain trek and began to doubt our capabilities and fitness levels. We set off at 9:15am where we were submerged into the Rwenzori Mountain National Park, a place full of adventure. The 1st day of walking took us through a tropical setting where a series of bridges crossed over the Mbukuu River and its tributary, the Mahoma River. A steep wooden ladder took us up to another pathway which wound up to our first resting spot. Erick had a good eye and pointed out some Black Monkeys swinging in some trees as well as pointing out some of the vegetation typical to the region. After a leisurely walk we arrived at Nyabitaba Hut, our resting spot for the evening. We were quite surprised as the walk took us only 4½ hours and that was with 2 long enforced stops. It wasn’t too demanding and we felt surprisingly fresh when we reached the hut. The afternoon was spent filtering water and socialising with 2 other hikers that were taking on the summit. The view of the Portal Peaks was spectacular as they loomed over our camp. We were in bed just after sunset in preparation for the following day of walking. We were instructed to wear our wellies in the morning as we would be passing through the 1st of many bogs and would be leaving at 9am.

2010-06-05

Rwenzori Mountains Day 2

We were up at 6am to prepare our breakfast of Oats and bananas. We were ready to walk at 8am but had to wait for Erick to join us. We were an hour early but the sleepless night had us anxious to get on the path towards John Matte Hut. The day started off with a steep descent into a river valley where we crossed the Kurt Shafer Bridge which was suspended above the Mubuku Valley just below the river’s confluence with the Bujuku Valley. Across the bridge lay an equally steep incline which took us through some tall bamboo forests. The porters had reached us by this stage and came rearing past us. The 1st 4 hours were tough going. The mud was becoming more prominent and the bad nights sleep was catching up on us. We stopped for our first break at a waterfall where I devoured my lunch and indulged in a much needed Bar One. My energy came flooding back after that and the next hour and 45 minutes was delightful. We had entered the giant lobelia and groundsel zone, a vegetation type limited to East Africa’s highest mountains, and felt as though we had been submerged into a JR Tolken novel. It was magical. The trees were covered in moss and created an enchanted forest scene. We emerged into a clearing where our resting place for the night stood tall and proud. John Matte Hut was situated 3505m above sea level and the air was certainly very chilly. After a long day of walking and a good dinner of mince and rice we tucked ourselves into bed and fell fast asleep without any hesitation.

2010-06-06

Rwenzori Mountains Day 3

It was another bright and sunny morning offering us gorgeous views of Margareta Peak and Alexandra Peak which make up the Mt Stanley Plateau. Their glaciers were illuminated by the suns rays and made a spectacular sight. We set off towards the Lower Bigo Bog which required us to cross a very flimsy bridge made from old tree branches, once over this obstacle we were treated to a 25 minute walk on a brand new boardwalk. The walk also allowed us to take in beautiful views of the valley as well as allow our bodies and minds to prepare for the gruelling task that lay ahead of us. We had a steep incline at the end of the boardwalk which took us through the most beautiful vegetation and landscape. We reached the Upper Bigo Bog which is when the fun began. The boardwalk had long since disappeared beneath the sludgy water of the Bigo Bogs and we were required to stay as dry as possible and not fall in. It took all of our strength, concentration and skill to jump from one tuft of grass to another. Our walking sticks were not only used to assist our balance put also used to prod and probe the slushy ground in search of a sunken log or stone. It was a great deal of fun and all part of the Rwenzori experience. The reward at the end of our exhausting feat was a spectacular view of Lake Bujuku. An eerie mist had settled into the valley and whilst we plodded our way through the cloying mud it lifted and exposed the mighty Mt Baker and the extremity of the peaks surrounding us. It was not long thereafter until we reached our resting spot for the evening, Bujuku Hut, which was set in a beautiful green setting at 3962 meters. A freshwater stream flowed past our residence and we were able to wash our wellies, waterproof pants and bodies and fuel up on soup, Spaghetti Bolognese and copious amounts of chocolate. The usual routine of filtering water and preparing the following day’s snacks and lunch were to follow. As soon as the sun set we found refuge from the cold in our sleeping bags and listened to the rain falling heavily onto the tin roof. Day 3 had been tiring and we were in awe of Erick, our guide, as he resembled a little hobbit jumping from one log to the next. He promised us that we would not get muddy if we stepped where he stepped and so far he had been right.

2010-06-07

Rwenzori Mountains Day 4

The boggy start was enough to get anyone focussed in a matter of minutes. It was day 4 of our trek through the Rwenzori’s and we were set to reach the highest point of the trip today. The boggy ascent was certainly a true test of courage and the steep metal ladder that took us to ascend the Groundsel Gulley was not for the faint hearted. The weather cleared beautifully for us as we had sweeping views of the Bujuku valley and its lake. The hut we had spent the night at was a mere speck in the distance, a true reflection of the distance we had covered that morning. We said goodbye to Amy, a fellow trekker as she was off to brave the icy cold ascent of Margherita Peak. Our trail continued up a steep scree slope, which was hair raising at times, and eventually took us up to Scott Elliot pass (4372m), the highest point of the circuit and the highest altitude that Kirk and I had ever climbed to. We stopped for lunch at the top of the pass and tried to suck in as much of the rarefied air as possible, this was our altitude training for Kilimanjaro and we were eager to see if we would be affected at all by the thin air. The pass was very scenic and the walk down to the Kitandara Lakes was equally appealing. We arrived at Kitandara Hut (4023m) after 4 hours and 34 minutes of setting off from the previous hut. The setting was idyllic and resembled a country cottage nestled on the banks of a serene lake. We again we able to wash off the mud from our wellies and waterproof pants in the nearby lake and stream where Kirk accidently slipped into the water and got muddier than he had been throughout the trip. He was then forced to strip of to his duds and wash his wellies and trousers. I had a good laugh at his expense. After dinner and the usual chores we settled in for the evening only to receive some bad news. A porter, from a pair of hikers who had summitted Margherita Peak the day before, came running past our hut. He came with news that one of the men had slipped on the glacier and fallen into a 4 meter crevice, had broken his leg and they couldn’t get him out. He had run from 5109 meters in an hour and was going to continue until he received cell phone signal to call for the rescue team. We were concerned for the safety of the Dutch man and felt completely helpless. We went to bed anticipating updates all night and were relieved to hear back from the porter just after 9pm. He was on his way back up to the summit to help with the recue mission. Erick, our guide, and 2 of the porters had also made their way to the top to assist in the rescue mission. The thought of having to spend a night on a glacier in the rain was not ideal and my thoughts and prayers were with them all night. The thin air and cold temperature meant that our sleep was interrupted and we were quite relieved when morning came as that meant we could get on with the trek and descend to a warmer climate and denser air.

2010-06-08

Rwenzori Mountains Day 5

We were woken by the 2 remaining porters at sunrise. They had come to inform us that Erick had not yet returned and that we would be departing at 9am with them and assured us that they would take great care of us and try their utmost to inform us of the touristy things. We were slightly worried about the people on the glacier and were considering hanging out at Kitandara Hut until they returned just so that we could be certain of their safety. Miraculously Erick arrived back at 8:30am and came to give us an update about the rescue mission. The porters and guides had successfully retrieved the Dutch man from the crevice and they had all spent a night on the glacier. The rescue team was on their way up to the summit and should have reached the injured man by 8am that morning. Erick had left at 6am and was ready to start our descent to Guy Yeoman Hut. We were astounded at his courage and stamina; he moved swiftly up the thigh bursting climb to Freshfields Pass (4282m) whereas Kirk and I were struggling to get focussed and keep our balance. The view from Freshfields was out of this world. The amount of sunbirds feeding off the Lobelia was staggering as their shimmering feathers caught the sun and gave off a dazzling glow. The peaks of Mt. Baker and Mt. Stanley were impressive with their glaciers reflecting the morning sun and DRC was just a stones throw away. Freshfields was a long traverse which eventually took us down the plateau through the steep river valley of the Mbuku River. The bogs seemed to never end and with Kirk and me having a few close shaves with deep sludgy mud we couldn’t help but laugh and take each stride as it came. The mineral deposits in the river valley were plentiful and gave off a gold gleam in the sun. Kirk took the opportunity to ‘pan’ for gold and the possibility of finding a great big diamond or precious stone amongst all the pebbles. We rested beneath a sandstone cliff for lunch and braced ourselves for the final leg of our trek to the hut. This took us through the rocky bed of the Mbuku River which allowed us to clean our muddy boots and enjoy the different scenery. We eventually reached Guy Yeoman hut after a 6 hour slog. The river provided us with a good opportunity to scrub up and feel refreshed and even though it was icy cold we bathed our feet and bodies and felt rejuvenated afterwards. Our cooker was almost out of fuel so we boiled water with bated breath in the hope that we would have just enough fuel to have a cup of hot coffee in the morning. Sleep came very easily that night. We were both exhausted from the previous night’s disturbed sleep and being at 3505m made it much warmer and more comfortable to sleep.

2010-06-09

Rwenzori Mountains Day 6

We woke up feeling very refreshed and revitalised. Luck was with us as we managed to have enough gas left in the cooker to boil enough water for 2 cups of coffee. We had decided to descend right down to the office today as we were running low on food and we were fresh out of cooking gas. We had a reasonably early start and started the route with a descent of the cliffs of Kichuchu which was rough going and exceptionally slippery. They had built some boardwalks and ladders to help with the descent of these cliffs which took us 45 minutes; in the past it took up to 3 hours. We crossed the Mubuku River many times before reaching the bamboo forests which marked the end of the bogs although it was still exceptionally muddy and slippery. We arrived at Nyakalengija hut after a brisk 4 hour walk where we enjoyed our lunch perched on a rock underneath the intimidating Portal Peaks. We continued the final phase effortlessly. This part of the circuit is the only time we covered the same trail in the duration of the 6 days. We enjoyed the warmth that the lower altitude had to offer and were feeling pleased with our progress. We reached the RMS Guest House after a 7 hour descent from 3505m to 1615m. We were both feeling surprisingly fit and energised and nothing like we had felt after climbing Mt. Cameroon or Jebel Toubkal. We said a huge thank you to our porters, who were incredibly fit and jovial, and Erick our guide who was wonderful. He had an excellent eye for spotting fauna and we were treated to seeing black monkeys on more than 2 occasions, the Rwenzori Lourie and a beautiful colourful chameleon. They were all very grateful for their tips and went home to their families with smiles on their faces. The Rwenzori Mountains were the most beautiful place we had visited on our African adventure thus far with a unique ecosystem that made us feel like we were hobbits in an enchanted forest embarking on a mission. We could do nothing but sing its praises and recommend the trek to any person who showed the least bit of interest.

We departed after stopping in at the UWA office to get a credit note for only spending 6 days in the park and paying for 7 and headed back to Fort portal. We located the Rwenzori View Guest House which was owned by an Anglo Dutch couple who had settled in Uganda and had a very lucrative business as all of their rooms were taken. We were lucky enough to get their last room and were happy to pay the USh95 000 ($50) price tag that came with the spacious en-suite double with the all important hot water shower! We decided to try the grand old Gardens Restaurant for dinner which was set in an old colonial building and turned out to be a great decision as the atmosphere was splendid and the portions were huge. Kirk opted for a traditional African dish of beef with mushrooms and I had a more westernised dish of fish and chips. We returned to the guest house weary and exhausted as the 6 days of walking had finally caught up to us but with bellies full we were content and looking forward to the great big breakfast that awaited us the following morning.

2010-06-10

Regardless of how hard we tried we just could not sleep late and enjoy the luxury of king size bed and comfortable furnishings. We sorted the dirty washing out and packed the remainder of our hiking gear back into the storage box. Breakfast was delicious with us enjoying fried eggs, sausage, fruit, good coffee, bread and local honey. Other travellers sitting around the communal breakfast table took great interest in our travels thus far and we spoke fondly of our recent trip up the Rwenzori Mountains. We decided to head towards one of the many crater lakes 25km south of Fort Portal and with a little bit of shuffling around we managed to squeeze Christophe, a Frenchman living and working in Sudan, into the car as he too was heading towards the crater lakes for the day. We stopped off at the local market to stock up on supplies for our onward travel which included a lot of jovial bartering with the local salesmen. The produce was of a particularly good standard and we even managed to secure a good sized fillet steak from a freshly slaughtered cow. We placed an order for 1kg of oxtail which would be collected the following day…they sell like hot cakes!

Lake Nkuruba Community Camp was a pleasant surprise. Most community camps we have visited were lacking a certain element of infrastructure but this one seemed to tick all of the boxes. The location was perfect in that it was perched on the rim of the crater overlooking the lake and surrounding forest. The walk down to the lake took us under a canopy of trees where black and white Colobus Monkeys and Red Topped Monkeys were playing and swinging from branch to branch. The murky green waters of the lake were inviting and very refreshing as we plunged into the depths of the water. After our refreshing swim we packed back into the car and drove towards Lake Nyinambuga where we visited Ndali Vanilla Factory. When we emerged from Mvubu we were filled with the sweet aroma of sun drying vanilla pods; I was in heaven with sweet memories of my home baked chocolate cakes filling my mind. The tour of the factory was very informative and interesting. Ndali is a Fairtrade organisation that sells most of its products to Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Whole Food in England. We then made our way up to Ndali Lodge which had great views over Lake Nyinambuga. At $400 per person per night (full board) this lodge is definitely not aimed at your average overlanders or backpackers. We opted to enjoy lunch, which was affordable, on the veranda and enjoy the surroundings of this very English influenced establishment. We headed back to the community camp, after dropping Chris off at a taxi stop so that he could get back to the Guest House, where we gave Mvubu a good internal clean and relaxed for the remainder of the evening. Drops of rain began to fall during our shower and developed into a mammoth thunderstorm where Kirk ended up getting soaking wet whereas I managed to scamper up into the tent before the brunt of the storm hit. It was a good laugh getting Kirk dried but a comforting feeling falling asleep to the sound of heavy rain hitting the canvas of the tent.

2010-06-11 to 2010-06-14

When we were in Kampala we met Bruce, the owner of Lake Albert safari Lodge. We had him and his 2 friend for dinner that night and he subsequently invited us up to his lodge as a kind gesture. We took him up on this invitation and drove north after leaving Lake Nkuruba at 8am in the morning. After a brief stop over in Fort Portal to collect the ox tail and change some money we arrived at Lake Albert Safari Lodge just after lunchtime. We were given a royal welcome with cold wet flannels to wipe the dust off our hands and faces and lunch was served promptly after our arrival. The lodge was well established and has become a good regeneration game reserve where Bruce has worked hard to reintroduce 3 species of antelope (Hartebeest, Waterbuck and Buffalo) and regenerate the now thriving Cob, Duiker and Oribi population. The Football World Cup was set to kick off that afternoon and after our lunch we settled into an afternoon of sport. After a 3 course meal for dinner we were shown to our room, a luxury safari tent with en-suite bathroom which looked like a fairytale bedroom as there were flower petals sprinkled on the mosquito net covered bed. The soft lighting enhanced the atmosphere and Kirk and I relished in the luxury.

The following 2 days followed a similar routine whereby we started the day with a gorgeous breakfast of fruit, toast, eggs and great coffee, followed by a game drive with Bruce, which on one occasion turned into a baboon hunt as they are notorious for killing the baby duikers or antelopes and are in their masses. Sport was high on the agenda and with South Africa playing rugby and three Football World Cup matches scheduled there was no chance of any other activity apart from being a couch potato. I tried to escape the sport by settling at the swimming pool with a good book and relaxing whilst the boys got their fix of sport. We were treated to unbelievable meals and even had a Ugandan celebrity amongst us as Bobby Williamson, the Ugandan Football Coach, spent 2 nights at the lodge. We eventually said goodbye to Bruce after 3 days of luxury and made our way towards Murchison Falls National Park. Bruce’s hospitality could not be faulted and we felt truly rested and ready to continue on our travels.

The drive to Murchison Falls National Park was quick and we settled in at the Shoebill Campsite which was situated right on the Nile River. We had accumulated a heap of dirty washing from the Rwenzoris and took our early arrival and the hot weather as an opportunity to get it all washed and dried. The campsite filled up that evening with a private safari vehicle arriving with 4 Dutch people and another family of 4 on a self drive arriving shortly afterwards. We enjoyed a fillet steak dinner where we were observed by a pair of Civet Cats who were eying out our food.

2010-06-15

We headed into Murchison Falls National Park at 9am after a lazy breakfast overlooking the Nile River. Elephants were grazing on the opposite side of the bank and so we were treated to a ‘game view’ before we had set foot into the park. After sorting out our entry with the credit note we made a bee lie for the falls which were described as the most spectacular thing to happen to the Nile long its 6700km length. The gorge that the Nile passes through is just 6m wide, so if you can imagine the volume of water that passes through there; it makes it the most powerful natural surge of water anywhere in the world. Before we reached the falls we noticed an abundance of Tsetse Flies hovering around the moving car and some even managed to come into Mvubu but me being armed with my bottle of Doom managed to zap them before they could sink their teeth into our juicy flesh. This made the drive very uncomfortable as it was a very hot day and without air conditioner, we felt and looked like we were sitting in a sauna. We stopped at the Murchison Falls viewpoint and dared to get out the car. It was worth it. The falls were very impressive and the sheer volume and power of the water flowing through the tiny gorge would have sent many kayakers to their doom never to be found again. We enjoyed getting sprayed by the fine mist that was propelled into the air as well as cooled by the breeze that the falls provided. This happened to keep the Tsetse flies at bay and when we returned to Mvubu we dreaded the scorching drive that lay ahead of us. The flies were insistent and spread throughout a large section of the park. This unfortunately made up our minds for us and we decided to head for Kampala to do our last bit of shopping before continuing our journey to Kenya. The drive was easy and problem free as we got onto the main highway which was perfect tarmac. Being back in Kampala felt familiar and it was nice to drive around a city and know where we were going. The Red Chilli Rest House didn’t disappoint the last time so after a spot of shopping at Shoprite and Game we arrived in time to check our e-mails, speak to our families on Skype and eat a hearty meal from the restaurant.

2010-06-16

It was Kirk’s 33rd birthday today but when you are on the road there are no birthday parties to look forward to so instead we decided to go off to Jinja and celebrate Kirk’s 33rd year in style, rafting at the source of the Nile River. Nile River Explorers seemed to offer the best deal with 2 nights of free camping, a full day of rafting with Breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as 2 free drinks each. This package cost $125 per person but again it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were looking forward to some adrenaline fuelled activity. We paid the money and spent the remainder of the afternoon rinsing left over laundry from our Rwenzori trip and looking forward to the following morning.

2010-06-17 to 2010-06-19

It was an early start as we departed from the campsite at 8am. We arrived at the backpackers, situated in Jinja town centre, in time for a good breakfast and safety briefing. 3 boats were going out on the river and so we all piled into the trucks which took us to the starting point of our day long adventure. We had 7 people on our boat and we opted for the ‘Wet and Wild’ option which we would soon learn was a regretful decision. Doug, our instructor, was from Zimbabwe and born on the Zambezi so we were in for all kinds of fun and laughter. The day went by with many laughs and a lot of time spent in the water, under the water and clinging onto the boat for dear life. Our last rapid of the day was supposed to be the scariest but we managed to get through it unscathed and dry when we had all wanted to get wet and wild. The trucks took us back to the campsite where we had a BBQ feats waiting for us. Hot showers were greeted with open arms and we spent the remainder of the evening enjoying the company of our newly made friends. The DVD of the day was very entertaining and spurred on a mammoth party which went on until the wee hours of the morning. Needless to say, we were feeling very sorry for ourselves the following morning and once we managed to get our very weary bodies out of our tent, we didn’t do much more than sit on the couches in the communal areas napping and eating whilst glancing at the football. Our arms were exceptionally stiff and even lifting a bottle of water sent pains into our muscles that had us laughing at each other.

After spending 3 nights at Nile River Explorers in Jinja, and getting a taste of what it is like to be young students and backpackers we decided that we should get back on the road again and continue our journey towards the East Coast of Africa. Uganda had been a pleasant surprise and we had thoroughly enjoyed each and every single place we had visited. The people are friendly, the soil is fertile and there is enormous potential for development all around it. Kirk and I had visions of settling in Uganda running some sort of unique lodge that people would queue up for. We have done a lot of dreaming in Africa but Uganda seemed to be the one place that dreams can be made into a reality…Perhaps something to consider for our future.

We said a fond farewell to Uganda and promised to return one day to summit Mt. Stanley and possibly others in the range.